Goal Setting

By Jeffrey D. Roth, CEOJeffrey Roth

Many of us come up with personal resolutions each December to lose weight, to be a better parent or spouse, or to be more charitable; some we are able to achieve and some we are not. Perhaps when we fail at achieving our goals, it has more to do with how we derived the particular goal(s) than our lack of focus or will-power.

I found a great 60-minute goal setting exercise by Jim Estill recently. I’ve reprinted it here because I think it can help each of us set realistic goals for 2010 that we can actually achieve – and can save many hours in the coming months.

Step 1: At the top of a blank piece of paper, write down "values" and then spend 15 minutes writing down everything that you value. This Website www.stevepavlina.com has a list of several hundred values to start your mind thinking in the right direction. After the time is up, stop doing this and move to Step 2.

Step 2: At the top of a blank piece of paper, write down "lifetime goals;" this is where you can dream. For example, what places would you like to visit, what experiences would you like to have or what you would like to accomplish within your lifetime? This might include traveling to New Zealand, getting a university degree, living in a 15,000 square foot house or most likely something else. There are no rules to this brainstorming – simply make a list.

Step 3: At the top of a blank piece of paper, write down everything you would do if you had six months to live. This exercise brings the “truly important” into focus. Usually, the things that you would likely do if you had only six months to live are not listed on your lifetime goals.

Step 4: At the top of a blank piece of paper, write down your goals for this year. After doing the first three steps, you will find this step much easier than the others. These are the goals to focus on NOW.

This total exercise will only take an hour. One hour spent clarifying your goals can save you hundreds of hours.

I hope this helps you set and achieve realistic goals for this year!

Jeff Roth, CEO